by Susan | Jan 17, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
My post-Christmas recycled bird tree crashed and burned in the first snow storm after I set it up. I rescued all of the orange cup feeders and sunflower heads and simply hung them on the birch tree in the background here. In the dark of night, all of the ornaments...
by Susan | Jan 7, 2017 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
Despite the fact that my feeders are full, bird activity has been a little slow lately. The squirrels and the mourning doves have been my only regular visitors. With snow in the forecast for this afternoon, I spent the morning setting up bird tree. It’s been a...
by Susan | Aug 22, 2016 | Garden, On the Farm
This year, the garden tomatoes are so prolific that it looks a bit like Christmas in the greenhouse. Those little red gems are like ornaments on a tree. One evening walk through of the greenhouse yielded this bucket tomatoes, plus a few cucumbers. Needless to say,...
by Susan | Aug 12, 2016 | Cats and Dogs, On the Farm
This year, the blueberry crop around the pond is especially good – probably because I’ve kept the chicken’s in their coop since we rebuilt their run. I got to the berries before the chickens this season. I went out this afternoon to pick some more...
by Susan | Jul 24, 2016 | Garden, On the Farm
Although I’ve paid my garden little attention since planted, it seems to be growing strong. As are the weeds! I’ve managed to keep the weeds in the beds to a minimum, but between the beds is another matter. Still, there are hits a misses here and there. This...
by Susan | Jul 1, 2016 | On the Farm
This morning I bounced back and forth between working at my desk and helping Paul work on the new chicken run for the hen house. While I was outside, I turned on the soaker hose in greenhouse. Unfortunately, I forgot about it until Paul came in for lunch and said...
by Susan | Jun 18, 2016 | On the Farm
It was a stupendous Maine day – warm weather cool breeze, and a chilly night. There was lots of activity in the garden. There were all manner of hummers. Hummingbirds… Hummingbird moths – or clearwing moths… I love the way you can see her...
by Susan | May 24, 2016 | On the Farm
Yesterday I was sharing about our squirrel issue. Today it seems as if we have a bear issue. Twelve years at Downeast Thunder Farm and we’ve never had a bear “problem”. We know they’re on the property because we’ve seen signs –...
by Susan | May 24, 2016 | On the Farm
We’ve had a bit of a squirrel issue this last week. One of these cute little red squirrels took up residence in the garage. This is not a good thing! He (or she) was making a nest of fiberglass insulation in the overhead. Paul discovered this when a squirrel...
by Susan | May 18, 2016 | Backyard Birds
It’s been a few years since we raised turkeys and I’ve missed having them around. They’re such funny creatures and have quite entertaining personalities. We often see wild turkeys around. A few years ago we spotted a mama and her seven babies...
by Susan | May 8, 2016 | Backyard Birds
After spying my first Goldfinch of the season, I treated myself to a new feeder and a ridiculously expensive bag of Nyjer seed. It appears the investment was worth it. I snapped this photo from the comfort of my living room sofa this afternoon.
by Susan | May 6, 2016 | Chickens, On the Farm
We once had as many as 18 egg layers at Downeast Thunder Farm. The numbers have dwindled over time and we now have just two girls in the hen house. It’s been a few years since we’ve had farm babies (other than Gidget!). I heard the local feed store had...
by Susan | Apr 29, 2016 | On the Farm
I love the days when I can work from home. This morning was one of those days and despite the crazy late-April chill, it was a perfect, peaceful morning. I spent a few minutes with my coffee sights and sounds on the...
by Susan | Apr 26, 2016 | On the Farm
My birthday passed quietly last month. Mom (a.k.a. Granny Gadget) honored it (as she did last year) with a cute little metal owl. Last year’s pair resides by the front door welcoming visitors. This new one I put up on the post at the end of our drive over the...
by Susan | Apr 9, 2016 | Backyard Birds, On the Farm
Gidget gave me an early morning wake-up call. As I stood outside with her in my crocks and jammies, I spied what I first thought was a Mourning Dove in a tree. Too big for a Dove, I headed back inside for my camera. ‘Twas a Ruffed Grouse dancing along the...
by Susan | Apr 1, 2016 | On the Farm
I’m familiar with Spring Peppers and I love their sound. However, these Wood Frogs seem to be a new addition to the pond this year. Frankly, I find them a little bit creepy when outside in the dark with the Gidge!
by Susan | Mar 21, 2016 | Ducks, On the Farm
Given the unseasonable beautiful weather we’ve been blessed with as of late, the first full day of spring was a rude beginning. A month since we had any measurable snowfall and today’s Snow Day No. 4 feels like a step backward in the march towards spring....
by Susan | Mar 20, 2016 | Ducks, On the Farm
Ice out on the pond was last Sunday, March 13th. It seems that after two months of frozen water, the ducks had forgotten all about it. They are definitely creatures of habit. I was able to snatch up Dilly, our physically challenged duck, and drop her in. That’s...
by Susan | Feb 19, 2016 | Garden
Sprinter. I didn’t coin the term, but it fits the weather we’ve had lately. Winter one minute, spring-like the next. The switch from below zero to 50 degree temps in just 24 hours was enough to spur some wild weather. Earlier in the week, we battled...
by Susan | Oct 12, 2015 | On the Farm
Today was one of those unexpected, spectacular, throw open your windows kind of days. And in mid-October, it could be the last one of the season. It was the kind of day that I long for, but haven’t had the opportunity to take advantage of very often this year....
